A Silent Moment
by RyuuKaori
Summary: Van has not contacted Hitomi in three years, then "...don't come...back..Hitomi..."
1. Calling

Hi peoples! I am going to start this little story of mine about Escaflowne. It takes place maybe two or three years after the end of the TV series, k? Cool! Hajimemasu! (Let's get started!) By the way, letters in blue are Hitomi's thoughts. Letters in red will be Van's thoughts.  
  
Disclaimer: ::almost forgot.:: I do not own Escaflowne.  
  
A Silent Moment  
  
  
  
"Those who forget, those who let go, regret it, for it is the biggest mistake one will ever make."  
  
Running, running was the only thing Hitomi found joy in. As she ran, the pain slowly receded from her aching lungs and tired legs. As she ran, she could forget everything, everything that had happened to her three years ago. Tears slowly traced down her dusty cheeks as she sped along the sandy track, gasping for breath.  
  
Van! She wanted so much to see him. At first Van had responded daily, they had basked in each other's emotions, joys and sorrows, though a measureless distance separated them. Roughly two years ago, he had suddenly stopped sending his daily thoughts. She had frantically called out to him, but he remained silent. Time had been cruel; she had slowly, unwillingly given up. Her heart began to close, forming an impenetrable scab over her bleeding wound.  
  
None of Hitomi's friends had noticed, but Yukari had, but Hitomi had brushed her off, remarking that it was nothing. Yukari did not press the issue, and Hitomi suspected that Amano had told Yukari to leave her alone. That was just fine with her, she had become quite a loner. Yes, she managed to stay on top of her classes and was the star of the track team due to the dedication with which she threw herself into running. Days passed, the sun rose, the moon set, they were all the same to Hitomi; she knew she had to move on, but she just couldn't.  
  
"Kanzaki-san! What was Isaac Newton's most significant theory?" "Fate-alteration..", muttered Hitomi under her breath. "Eh? What was that again?" asked the teacher. "Gravity, sensei." "Correct! Now moving on."  
  
The teacher's voice droned on and on, and Hitomi's eyelids started to slip. A sudden pain rushed through her mind. Her mind's eye was filled with nothing but the dark, dark red of spilled blood. Hitomi jerked her head up looking around her, yet not seeing anything. Her classmates looked at her in surprise.  
  
"G-gomen.." stuttered Hitomi, blushing pink as she rested her chin on her arm. What was that all about? Hitomi was confused; she had stopped using her tarot cards to foretell the future, preferring to live out her fate as she wished. Therefore, there was no way that this could have been a vision. For a moment, her thoughts drifted back to Van, might he finally have sent her a thought? No, it couldn't be, he had closed her off from his heart as had she, albeit reluctantly.  
  
Suddenly, Hitomi was struck with another mind picture, this time a hauntingly familiar voice echoed through her mind.  
  
  
  
D..don't come b..back, Hitomi.  
  
Hitomi stared in horror at the image: the dragon statue, those piercing red gems in place of eyes, crumbled, each crack thundered in her ears. Flames licked the edges of the crumbled chunks of rock, slowly consuming each piece. Hitomi was hit with an intense feeling of regret before she was released from her, now for certain, vision.  
  
Na..nai?! I can't have a vision! I don't have the power! Doshite??! Hitomi cried out silently in her mind, over and over, doshite?! Upon her return to Earth, she had used the last of her willpower to erase her mysterious power. She no longer wished for the ability to see the unseen and to foretell the future. But now.this vision had thrown her entire reality into complete disarray.  
  
Van.It was Van's voice.he's in pain. Nakanaide Van!! I'm coming, I'll find a way back!!  
  
Hi..to..mi,.. d.don't. come back!!  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Well I suppose it's a good beginning, but hella short, don't you agree? Give me tips, in other words REVIEW if you like of course. Let's see.since this is a beginning thing, I want at least 5 - 7 reviews before I write the next chapter. Gomen ne, I'm a junior in high school, which means BUSY BUSY, but I'll try to update as often as I can, k? 


	2. Training

Hi! I'm back again! Here's the next part in our story of Van and Hitomi.I wonder what is going to happen? ::mysterious:: ::sigh:: I just discovered that colors do not carry over to fanfiction.net, sucks!! So minna, kite (listen up), Hitomi's thoughts bold, and conversely Van's thoughts will be italicized. Wakata (understand)?  
  
For my first 5 reviewers.ARIGATOU!!!! TennyoAngel711 LOVE WITCH R.T.A. Wings angelwarriar Mistress of Darkness  
  
Disclaimer: ::once again:: I do not own Escaflowne.  
  
A Silent Moment:: Chapter 2  
  
Van.van!! Where are you?!  
  
Hitomi cried over and over as she lay in her bed staring blankly at the ceiling. She had nearly fainted at school. Yukari had jumped up and had practically dragged Hitomi down to the nurse's offices yelling to the teacher that Hitomi was sick on her way out. Once Hitomi had fallen upon those clean, white, pressed sheets that smelled of antiseptic, she had immediately passed out. In her dreams, her nightmares came to life with a horrid vengeance. Van's haunting warning, "D.don't..co..me..back..Hi..tomi!" had played over and over, each time his voice becoming more ragged.  
  
There was a dragon-shaped figure on her bedroom ceiling, she had never noticed it before. Amongst the bumps and ditches of her plaster ceiling, was a smooth piece shaped in a recognizable figure of a dragon rearing on its haunches.  
  
Van.what am I to do. to get back to you?  
  
The white curtains that covered her open window swayed slightly as an unknown puff of evening wind blew in. The little puff whirled around her room, and seeming, at least to Hitomi, to take on a more solid form as it whirled around. Hitomi's eyelids suddenly became heavy with sleep, and with one last effort to watch the puff of wind, closed.  
  
Hitomi! Wake up! This is important, it is imperative that you awake!!  
  
Hitomi opened her eyes slowly. Gasping in shock, she realized that she was no longer in her bed, she was no longer in Tokyo for that matter. She was in a dark place, an ominous-looking fog obscured everything around her. As her eyes shifted upward, she jumped back as she noticed an old grizzled- looking man in armor in front of her. He was heavily scarred with a thick scar running through one eye.  
  
Hitomi gasped in recognition. She knew this man; she had seen him through Van's memories as a young child. She had seen him the night before Fanelia had burned to the ground.  
  
Balgus! What are you doing here? For that matter, where am I?  
  
You are needed. Your skills.  
  
Ma..matte yo! I erased my powers, I don't want them anymore!  
  
Kanzaki Hitomi, you are needed. I am sorry that you do not wish for you powers, but alas, they are needed. You are to take part in the destiny that will soon unfold..  
  
What destiny? What are you talking about? I promised myself that I wouldn't be bound to any destiny, to any fate. I will decide my future for myself!  
  
Youth, you are extremely similar to Van-sama.  
  
Van?? Do you know where he is??! Take me back to him!! Onegai, Balgus-san!!  
  
I apologize once again, lady from the Mystic Moon, I am unable to take to you to Van Fanel. However, enough idle chatter, we must commence with business.  
  
With this, Balgus pulled his sword from his sheath, raised it about his head and slowly brought it down to point at Hitomi.  
  
Kanzaki Hitomi. If you value your life, you will fight me. I, Balgus of Fanelia, challenge you to a duel of honor. Draw!!  
  
Na..nani??!!!  
  
It was too late, Balgus had already started pounding towards Hitomi, his drawn sword intent on running Hitomi through. Frozen to the place with shock, Hitomi could on look on as the gleaming sword drew on closer and closer. Hitomi shut her eyes tightly, hoping everything was a dream.  
  
Something smooth slid through her belly; she could feel the lethal point piercing her stomach, intestines and sliding smoothly out the other side. Shakily, Hitomi dropped one hand to her gut. there was something sticky coating her fingers. She brought her fingers to her face, and slowly opened her eyes.  
  
Blood.blood coated her fingers, dripping and sliding down her wrist to gather at her elbow. Fearfully, Hitomi glanced down, the sword had run her completely through, but.. she felt no pain. However, the copious amount of blood she was losing, that was running in dark rivulets down her legs caused her to wobble uncertainly. Slowly she slumped to the ground, almost unconscious. As her life ebbed, she glanced up through weighted eyes to see the surprisingly satisfied face of Balgus, who stood over her with his arms folded over one another.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Wouldn't it be absolutely hilarious, at least for me, the author, if I ended this chapter here?  
  
  
  
  
  
The next evening: Hitomi warily slid her overly large T-shirt over her head. She was getting ready for bed and obviously not liking it. She had woken up last night in her bed, sweating profusely.  
  
Balgus.. stabbed me. Why did he do that I wonder? Should I.?  
  
Having pulled her shirt over her head, she had walked over to her desk. Her hand inched slowly towards the little gilt box on her desk where she kept her unused tarot cards. Hitomi had left the box untouched since the time she had returned from Gaia.  
  
No.. I won't! I promised myself! Demo. what if Van needs my help? No.. I won't, my head is probably playing tricks on me. Balgus is dead, Van. van is not in danger, not that I'd care. or do I?  
  
Thoroughly confused, Hitomi's hand left the cover of the box, she turned and flopped onto her bed. Sighing, she crawled under the soft, cool blankets and twisted the knob at the base of her lamp. Darkness, along with a deathly silence, shrouded her room. Once again, a puff of wind played in her room. Staring fearfully at the ceiling, one thought played around in Hitomi's mind.  
  
I closed my window.  
  
The puff of wind whirled down closer and closer towards Hitomi's face. She tried to shrink from it, backing further and further into her blankets. However, her attempts at escape for futile, for the puff of wind came circling down lower and lower, until Hitomi felt the familiar sensations of a forced sleep.  
  
It is time. Come, I will train you.  
  
Hitomi blinked. She was in the same fog-covered place where she had been last night. Alarmed, Hitomi quickly glanced down at her belly, searching for any signs of a wound. There were none, and it was then that Hitomi noticed that she was no longer in her T-shirt. She was wearing an earthy-brown pair of pants, similar to the ones Van use to wear.  
  
Van.  
  
Shaking her head, she continued examining her outfit. To her extreme surprise, she was wearing Van's exact red shirt, except a light-colored girdle ran around her waist, tying the shirt to her body, preventing it from flapping about. Looking back down again, she saw.. running sneakers. Hitomi suppressed an urge to laugh, this mysterious dimension had provided her with running shoes, not Fanelian boots like the rest of her outfit, but running sneakers from her home, the Mystic Moon.  
  
Glancing up, she saw Balgus motioning for her to come forward. Reluctantly and half-dragged by an unseen force, she propelled her feet over to where Balgus was standing.  
  
Once in front of Balgus, she stopped, wary of his moves, ready to run at any minute. Balgus held out his hands and placed them heavily upon Hitomi's shoulders.  
  
Young one, you have much to learn. Sadly, I have not the time to train you to your full potential. However, I will do my utmost best to see that you learn the basics.  
  
Balgus removed his hands from Hitomi's shoulders, reached down to grasp her hand. With his other hand, he pulled his sword from his sheath and placed the hilt on Hitomi's waiting palm.  
  
Tonight we will fight. It is not a duel, do not worry, but it is practice in which you must worry.  
  
Hitomi nodded wordlessly, a million questions running through her mind, but her mouth seemed to be glued shut. Balgus stepped backwards, drawing another sword from what seemed to be midair. An unknown pressure forced Hitomi's legs apart. It moved her feet until she had them planted in apparently a good fighting stance. The same pressure brought her arms down with both hands gripping the hilt of the sword tightly.  
  
Good, begin.  
  
Once again, Balgus rushed at her. Hitomi once again felt the beginnings of panic and fear rise up in her throat.  
  
NO! I will not run!  
  
Planting her feet, she blocked Balgus' swing aimed at her head. Turning, she brought her sword down in an attempt to disable her enemy by injuring the legs. With pleased look, Balgus avoided her slice with ease, coming back with a downward slash at her shoulder, which she barely blocked. The two of them danced back and forth, each slashing and blocking. However, it was plain to see who was the better of the two. Balgus, not even breathing hard, was running circles around an exhausted Hitomi, who was beginning to make mistakes.  
  
Shoot! I can't beat him like this! I can't keep both hands on my sword.  
  
Balgus, sensing her hesitation, came rushing up for the final blow. In desperation, Hitomi brought the blade of her sword up, in an attempt to deflect the blow.  
  
CRACK!  
  
The blade had splintered into two fragments. Hitomi was left holding the hilt of the sword, which had about a foot or two left in length. Smiling, much to Balgus' surprise, Hitomi surged upward, grabbing the other fragment of the blade in her other hand. Ignoring the blood that was running down her arm from gripping the blade fragment, she faced Balgus. Balgus started laughing. It was a rich hearty guffaw, one of a man who laughed rarely in his life.  
  
It seems young one, that I have mistaken you. I was unaware that you had an innate preference for.it seems. the two-bladed technique.  
  
Nan des ka? Two-bladed technique?  
  
Hitomi glanced back down at her arm.  
  
Ehhh??? What happened to my arm?? I..itai.. (it hurts..)  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Okay, this really is the end of the chapter. How did you guys like it? Want me to keep going? Yes, no? Comments, questions, constructive criticism welcomed. By the way, REVIEW!!!!!!!!! Once again, I will not update unless I get another 5 - 7reviews. I do this because it gives me time to write and an excuse not to post until I finish another chapter. 


	3. Returning

Konnichiwa minna-san! Genki ka? Well peoples, once again, the story continues. Thanks to: mizuko, FayeValentine00, LOVE WITCH, Anime Mistress, R.T.A. Wings for reviewing! All your wonderful reviews make me feel warm and bubbly inside!!  
  
Disclaimer: ::sigh:: I do not own Escaflowne.  
  
A Silent Moment:: Chapter 3  
  
Staring out the window of her classroom, Hitomi sighed as she watched the clouds move. She slumped down slowly on her elbows, careful not to cause any unwanted pain to her limbs.  
  
  
  
That doesn't make sense, I train in my sleep, my dreams, so why do I feel so sore in the mornings? It's not like I'm actually there training, or am I?  
  
  
  
She had been training with Balgus for three weeks, and every time she her body adjusted to the strain, Balgus would force another punishing exercise on her limbs. Hitomi grumbled in her mind,  
  
Mo.You'd think I'd be able to handle this, being in track, but I'm exhausted.  
  
What was she doing? Training every night with Balgus.  
  
It's not like I'm going back to Gaia or anything. why would I need to have skill with swords? Wa..i.t.. Didn't Balgus say something about a destiny, or something like that?  
  
Inwardly, Hitomi was quite proud of her skill. The next night, Balgus had approached her with two identical swords, each about the length of half a regular blade. Hitomi had found being able to defend and attack with two hands much easier than one.  
  
Unfortunately, as she trained, her power of sight slowly awakened. One during an intense training session, Balgus had disappeared amongst the fog.  
  
Hitomi had kept jerking this way and that, looking and expecting Balgus' next strike. While her back was turned, Balgus had sneaked through the fog and came silently towards her.  
  
Suddenly, in her mind, Hitomi saw a black shape coming towards her at a tremendous speed. Swiftly, she brought her left sword up as she turned to parry his blow. Balgus' blade clanged heavily as Hitomi struggled to shove him off. He was pleased, she could tell, even though she was less than pleased to see the return of her sight.  
  
Twiddling her pencil idly in her fingers, Hitomi continued to stare out the window.  
  
Evening: Hitomi had begun to look forward to her evening training sessions, as strict as Balgus was with her, she could feel herself improve.  
  
Pulling on her T-shirt, Hitomi jumped onto her covers and crawled under the blankets, turning off the lights as she did.  
  
Once again, the now familiar puff of wind descended on her, sending her along to sleep.  
  
Konbanwa Balgus-sensei.  
  
In anticipation of another duel, Hitomi pulled her two swords from her sheaths, which hung from the girdle around her waist.  
  
Bending her knees and spreading her feet apart, Hitomi brought her swords up in a classic defense position.  
  
Put away your sword, youth. Tonight weapons will not be needed.  
  
Suddenly, an enormous windstorm started up, blowing the fog that blanketed the place away. As the fog dispersed, Hitomi gasped.  
  
They were standing, no floating on top of the lake where Varie had met Gaou Fanel. Hitomi glanced back up quickly at Balgus, expecting an explanation.  
  
Balgus stood there, a heavy sorrow laid upon his features. Blood covered his body and armor, oozing out from the various wounds all over his body.  
  
BALGUS-SAN!!  
  
Hitomi ran over to where Balgus was now kneeling.  
  
This will be our last lesson, youth. From now on, we shall fence no more. Do not cry for I feel no pain. In order to transcend the plane of death where I have resided to the plane of dreams, I had to die again. Youth. you needed to be trained, so I am willing to die again. My time is up. I shall not last much longer. Quickly! Take it! Reach into my armor and pull it out! Hyaku! Time is short.  
  
Desperately, Hitomi plunged her hand into the space between Balgus' neck and his armor. Feeling something round and hard, she pulled it out.  
  
It was an energist, more correctly it was the energist Van had used to power Escaflowne. She knew all the curves and edges of Van's energist. Van had valued it, he had let no one except her hold it and touch it.  
  
When she returned to Earth, she could feel Van tracing the edges and running his fingers along the grooves of the surface while he sent his thoughts to her.  
  
What am I to do with this?  
  
Keep it. let no one know you have it. not even. Van.  
  
But why? Why can't I show it to him? He must be worried over its disappearance!  
  
Young lady, look beyond this shallow surface. There are important reasons why things must happen... ask me not no more, for here, our time will end.  
  
Farewell, lady of the Mystic Moon. I wish you luck with your journey.  
  
Maa.matte Balgus!! What reasons? What journey am I going on?!! Kodaide Balgus!! BAAALLGGUUSS!!!  
  
Hitomi woke up gasping for breath. Balgus! What had happened to him? She wondered. Something hard rolled into her lap, pulling her covers to one side, she found Van's energist, glowing a gentle pink in her lap.  
  
Bringing it to the level of her eyes, Hitomi watched the spark inside the crystalline shell. The light sparked and jumped, playing around inside its prison.  
  
Delighted, Hitomi watched as the little spark dimmed and shined, dimmed and shined; it seemed to respond to Hitomi's amusement.  
  
Hitomi gently dropped the energist onto her bedcovers, and let her arms fall limp against her side. Almost immediately, Hitomi jumped up.  
  
Looking down, she discovered her arms had bumped against her sword hilts hanging from her waist. Her shirt, her pants, her running sneakers, she was wearing them! Her night T-shirt lay on the back of her chair where she had left it that morning.  
  
Gross. there's dirt and sweat all over my bed now.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Another great place to end this chapter, but I won't. If you guys have any questions about the Japanese terminology, please place it in your reviews. Thanks!  
  
  
  
2:00am, the clock's red light shown across the room. Hitomi stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do.  
  
She couldn't just throw her clothes off and crawl back into bed, for one thing, there was no where for her to hide her swords, and her mom would definitely wonder where she had found a new suit of clothes.  
  
I guess. I guess I'll go run a bit.  
  
Hitomi silently tiptoed past her mother's room, not wanting her to wake up and find Hitomi in her sparring clothes, swords and all. The door creaked open and clicked shut as Hitomi entered the world of night.  
  
Hitomi ran silently down the sidewalk towards the train tracks. She was crazy, she'd never run the entire way to school before, normally it took her 30 minutes on the train.  
  
Breathing lightly, with her swords tapping gently against her thigh, she jogged, her entire mind absorbed with running.  
  
Finally, after what seemed a short period of time, Hitomi reached her school's field.  
  
There's no one here to swing the pendulum for me, but then again, I don't have the pendulum. Oh well, I'll just have to improvise.  
  
She walked over the metal starting points. Placing her feet in each one, Hitomi mentally counted off the seconds.  
  
Three.two.one.GO!  
  
Hitomi sprung forward, her entire being intent on racing the wind. Her feet pounded the track with a crunchy sound. Her lungs filled with air as she raced down the track.  
  
As she ran, she began to think of Van. how much she missed him. how much she wanted to see him again. Unbeknownst to her, the energist in her pocket, began to glow.  
  
Van.VAN!! Moichido! Aiitai!! (I want to see you again)  
  
N.no Hitomi. DON'T C..COME HERE!  
  
Shocked at hearing Van's voice again, this time so close to her, caused her to falter. Slowly the light from the energist died as Hitomi slowed to a halt.  
  
"What did you mean Van?" whispered Hitomi into the night. "I don't care what you want, I will return to Gaia, zettaini! (for certain)  
  
Filled with resolution, Hitomi jogged back to the starting point, and placing her shoes onto the ramps, she prepared to run. This time, not even Van would distract her, she had promised, she would return to Gaia.  
  
hikari yo... daichi yo... kiryuu yo.... kanashii hibi ga kaseki ni kawaru yo mou sugu anata no sono itami wo nemuri no mori e to hisoyaka ni michibi-ite ageru oyasumi subete ni ichizu-sugita mayoigo-tachi hagayusa ga yume ni shinka suru hi made inochi wa mabushii asa wo matte-iru saigo no zange mo kanawanai nara itsuka jidai no yoru ga akeru sekai yo, mabuta wo tojite inochi wa mezamete toki wo tsumugidasu anata no shouko wo sakanoboru you ni soshite hikari ga mune ni todoku kokoro yo, genshi ni modore namida no kishi de zutto tatazunda kimochi wo yasashiku tsutsumu you ni himitsu no kusuri ga omoide no oki e to hakobu yo oyasumi MORARU ni kegarete-ita yubi mo mimi mo kono ude no naka de mou nemuri nasai inochi wa mabushii asa wo matte-iru yabureta seisho wo dakishimeru yori itsuka jidai no yoru ga akeru anata yo, inori wo sutete inochi wa mezamete toki wo tsumugidasu shizen no RU-RU ni sono mi wo makase soshite hikari ga mune ni todoku kokoro yo, genshi ni modore  
  
inochi wa mabushii asa wo matte-iru saigo no zange mo kanawanai nara itsuka jidai no yoru ga akeru sekai yo, mabuta wo tojite inochi wa mezamete toki wo tsumugidasu anata no shouko wo sakanoboru you ni soshite hikari ga mune ni todoku kokoro yo, genshi ni modore  
  
  
  
Light! Earth! Flowing air!... Those sad days will soon turn into fossils, and your pain will be secretly led to the forest of sleep. Good night, all of you overly enthusiastic stray children, until the day your impatience evolves into a dream Life is waiting for the dazzling morning. Even if final confession isn't granted Someday the darkness of this era will break into dawn. World! Close your eyes! Life is awakening, weaving time itself. As if to return to your proof And so, the light tells your heart Heart! Return to your origin. You stand for a long time on the shore of tears As if to gently conceal your feelings, the secret medicine transports them to the open sea of memories. Good night. Let your fingers and ears, dirtied by morality, sleep within my arms. Life is waiting for the dazzling morning. Rather than hold on to your worn-out scriptures, Someday the darkness of this era will break into dawn. You! Abandon your prayers. Life is awakening, weaving time itself. Entrust yourself to the laws of nature. And so, the light tells your heart Heart! Return to your origin. Life is waiting for the dazzling morning. Even if final confession isn't granted Someday the darkness of this era will break into dawn. World! Close your eyes. Life is awakening, weaving time itself. As if to return to your proof And so, the light tells your heart Heart! Return to your origin.  
  
A voice sang in Hitomi's mind as she ran. Soon, the feeling of pain, the sound of her crunching feet faded into the distance.  
  
All Hitomi was aware of, was the mysterious voice singing and her own breath coming out in short gasps.  
  
Heart, Return to your Origin!  
  
Hitomi acknowledged the voice silently. Focusing her entire being on running, on leaving the very wind behind, Hitomi felt something begin to form on the grounds in front of her.  
  
Suddenly a pillar of blue light bloomed out, and the familiar figure of Escaflowne in its dragon form materialized.  
  
As Hitomi ran excitedly towards where the cockpit would be, she noticed one thing that threatened to wrench her heart right out of her breast still beating.  
  
Van. Van was not in the cockpit.  
  
Author's Note: Once again, the end of the chapter has occurred. The above lyrics are from Neon Evangelion Genesis "Death and Rebirth". The ending theme is called Kokoro yo Genshi ni Modore; Heart! Return to Your Origin.  
  
ONCE AGAIN!!! REVIEW!!!! ONEGAI!!!! I'm just asking for 5 ~ 7 reviews to give me the motivation to write!! I suffer from severe lack of confidence, so please review on!! 


	4. Wedding

Konbanwa minna-san!!! For the oddest reasons, I write whenever the urge hits and I find myself writing at 11:30pm.I should be in bed, but I'll be nice and regale you faithful readers with this fourth segment of "A Silent Moment". Oh yeah, I just figured that neither color nor bold and italics work on fanfic.net, I AM MAD. Oh well, that's okay, I'll just assume that my readers possess the intelligence needed to figure out who is thinking what and so on.  
  
Thanks to LOVEWITCH, wingedgoddess, MysticalDreamer, FayeValentine00, and Ruby for reviewing. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME!!!!  
  
NOTE: by the way, for MysticalDreamer: the lyrics in chapter 3 were from Neon Evangelion Genesis. It's a great anime that everyone should watch!!!  
  
Disclaimer: The sun comes down and the moon comes up, and I do not own Escaflowne.  
  
A Silent Moment:: Chapter 4  
  
The sun rose high in the sky, bathing the green land with its warming light. Van Fanel sighed as he glanced down at his outfit.  
  
He was getting married [AN: ::shock:: Van's getting married?!] and his counselors were overjoyed.  
  
Rubbing the itch at the base of his neck, Van mentally cursed himself. He was dressed in the dark, royal blue of the Fanelian court. The wedding robes were made of the softest of silks; a royal blue tunic with the Fanelian dragon embroidered in gold thread on its front, covered a white puffy-sleeved cotton shirt.  
  
The tunic flowed to the ground, hiding the earthy-colored pants that he adamantly insisted on wearing. His counselors were shocked to say the least when he insisted on wearing the pants he had worn during the war for his wedding; therefore they had forced him to wear the ground-sweeping tunic.  
  
While he had managed to keep his pants, much to Van's dismay, he found a new, polished pair of boots to compliment his outfit.  
  
Gods.what I am getting myself into.?  
  
Van turned his head towards the Mystic Moon floating almost invisible in the sunlit sky.  
  
Hitomi.forgive me.  
  
The bell tolled waking Van from his reverie. He slowly stood up from where he had been sittting, brushing the dirt and debris from his spotless outfit as he climbed down off the roof of the palace.  
  
Almost immediately a swarm of stiff-necked counselors spotted him and rushed over in a panic, tripping over one another.  
  
"Van-sama!!!! Today is a very important day, it marks the day of the union of Fanelia and Freid!!! Your wedding to Princess Kishe, the younger sister of Prince Chid, is vitally important to the power of our country!!! How could you forget that??!!! Van-sama!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Hai, hai, I'm ready now.for the ceremony."  
  
As Van walked away surrounded by his chattering counselors, Merle watched him sadly from her hidden spot on the other side of the palace roofs.  
  
"Van-sama.You haven't stopped lying to yourself. You said that you could forget Hitomi and move on with your life. I told you that you couldn't do it; I know you better than anyone else.Van-sama."  
  
Looking towards the Mystic Moon, Merle pleaded with the sky.  
  
"Onegai.Hitomi.come back and save Van-sama."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Van glanced sideways at his bride-to-be. Princess Kishe was the younger sister of Chid of Freid. She had been away from Chid at the time when Van had been imprisoned. [ AN: episode 10 or 11 in the television series, if you're curious.]*  
  
However, unlike Chid, her father was not Allen. The Duke of Freid had one child, and that was the princess Kishe. She had long, ebony hair that flowed in gentle tresses to her waist, but was at the moment tied up in an elegant bun at the back of her head.  
  
She had a small slight frame and finely carved features.  
  
Kishe wore a delicate dress, which seemed to have been woven from the very petals of a lily. A veil of the finest and clearest material floated around her face, which she kept bowed. She was rather frail and had careless, indifferent personality.  
  
The kind of person I never wanted to marry. Hitomi.no.you are dead to me. But it wasn't my fault.  
  
As Van wrestled with himself, his feet brought him rapidly towards the altar; the point of no return. He kneeled as Kishe beside him did the same. The priests began their monotonous incantations of the ancient Fanelian marriage rites.  
  
Van, closing his eyes, dipped his head unconsciously in a silent farewell to the one who he could never have.  
  
"Princess Kishe, the only daughter of the Duke of Freid and brother to Prince Chid of Freid, do you accept the union of Van Slanzar de Fanel of Fanelia with yourself to be appropriate and desirable?"  
  
  
  
"Hai." Was Kishe's indifferent response. Van shivered involuntarily.  
  
"Van Slanzar de Fanel, king of Fanelia, do you in turn, accept the union of yourself and the Princess Kishe?"  
  
Van's mind kept screaming at him, NO, NO, NO, Hitomi is not dead, why are you betraying her, and more importantly yourself????!!!!!  
  
Roughly shoving aside the thoughts he feared to be true, Van glanced up, his reply caught slightly in his throat.  
  
"H..ha.."  
  
  
  
[AN: WOW! I never knew I was so good at these dramatic cliffhanger endings. But fear not, dear readers, the chapter is not over yet!]  
  
  
  
A blue pillar of light suddenly engulfed the altar. Kishe stood up in surprise, her wedding veil starting to come undone.  
  
Van, his heart clenching painfully in his chest, looked skyward in.was it apprehension, or was it relief?  
  
Hitomi screamed as the blue light released her and she fell the last couple feet to earth. Shutting her eyes tightly, Hitomi screamed as loud as her already raw throat would allow, but abruptly stopped as she came tumbling down upon something soft.  
  
Cautiously opening her eyes, Hitomi glanced downward. Much to her chastisement, she had landed upon a young gentleman, in the middle of his wedding!  
  
"Go..GOMEN NASAI!!!"  
  
Hitomi quickly scrambled off his chest and ran for the crowd surrounding the altar.  
  
Van slowly stood up; he had been caught unaware even though he had been staring at the sky. Much to his disappointment, or relief?  
  
Once again, Van was caught in the turmoil of his own feelings. A young girl had fallen upon him, but there was no way that it could have been Hitomi.  
  
This girl had shoulder-length hair, a little longer than Hitomi's, but the astonishing thing was that she had two swords strapped to her thigh, and she had Fanelian clothing on.  
  
A girl.who is not Hitomi.WAIT, those clothes, they're mine!  
  
"Guards!! Stop her!!"  
  
Hitomi tried not to panic as she heard the young lord order his guards on her.  
  
I'm not surprised; after all, I did interrupt his wedding. But I can't afford to be caught right now, I've got to find Van!  
  
Hitomi pushed her way roughly through the crowds. Luckily the people were still in shock from her sudden appearance and made no move to stop her.  
  
As the guards stomped after her, Hitomi noticed that her pursuers were all equipped with heavy armor, whereas she had only the lightweight cloth of her Fanelian clothes.  
  
Hitomi stopped pushing through the crowd and instead, starting worming her way through the cracks between the people. The guards she knew, would not shove the citizens aside for they wanted to refrain from injuring innocent people, or at least she prayed that this was so.  
  
Van watched as the young stranger wormed her way through the crowd, as she lightly scaled a wall and lost his guards. He felt nothing, the strange girl had escaped, but something small was tugging inside of him.  
  
Shushing the tremor in his heart, which the girl had awakened unexpectedly, he turned towards the altar. The bride-to-be was nowhere to be seen, and Van was highly suspicious that she had run off to Freid's ambassador to complain, for Kishe did not like Van, and their feeling was mutual.  
  
Van turned away from the confused crowd and began to make his way back to the palace. Opting to avoid his counselors, he slipped into a side-alley and continued unseen.  
  
Merle, however, noticed Van's escape. Leaping lightly down from her post behind the pillars that surrounded the altar, she scampered after Van.  
  
"Vaaaannn-saamaaa!!!"  
  
Van turned, slightly surprised, as a small furry body knocked into him.  
  
"Merle! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Van-sama.I came to watch your mistake."  
  
"::sigh::, Merle, you knew I had no choice."  
  
"You were thinking about her.weren't you.?"  
  
"NO! I was not!"  
  
"Uso desu!! (That's a lie!) I.I know how you feel.How could you? How could you just throw her away?!!"  
  
With this last exclamation, Merle ran from Van, her hurt showed plainly upon her feline features.  
  
Van sighed, he knew that Merle, Allen, Millerna, and the rest of his old friends thought him the biggest fool.  
  
Am I a fool? For caring about my country? Hahaue wo yakusoku ni shimasu.( I promised my mother) I promised that I would be a strong king. I cannot throw away my country for.for.one girl!!  
  
With this, Van walked off resolutely, or at least to the untrained eye. Merle had run off and returned hidden to watch Van's reaction. She knew.resolute was the last thing Van was.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Did I lose them?  
  
Hitomi breathed heavily as she leaned against the shadowed wall of a building. She was exhausted, after scaling the wall that surrounded the palace, she had gotten herself lost in the maze of buildings.  
  
Hitomi slid down the wall until she was sitting on the dirt ground, trying to stop the tears which threatened to fall.  
  
Dame.(no.) I can't cry right now, I've got to get out of here.  
  
Pulling herself off the ground, Hitomi saw a fringe of dark-green bordering the wall top, which surrounded the city. The gate, Hitomi was willing to bet, was still quite a ways away. However, she could not afford to get caught in this city.  
  
After some time, Hitomi finally reached the entrance. The gate was a strong oaken piece of wood held together by metal contraptions. The gate could be lowered and raised by a bunch of confusing metal wheels and switches that were connected to a gatehouse next to the gate arch.  
  
Resolved, Hitomi started creeping towards the gate, hoping to remain unseen.  
  
As she neared the gate, she noticed that the guards were obviously exhausted after a day of welcoming guests and visitors for the wedding.  
  
Yoshi! (Alright!) I can do this, the guards are much too tired to chase me.  
  
Hitomi jogged lightly towards the gate, trying to act inconspicuous. The two guards noticed her approach and waited until she was a few feet ahead of them before coming to block her path.  
  
"Who are you? And to what destination are you traveling?"  
  
"Uh..uh.. I'm just a regular village girl, um.I'm going out to..uh.practice!!"  
  
"Practice what?" Asked one of the guards suspiciously.  
  
"um..to."  
  
"Chotto (wait)! Those swords of yours, they bear the King's crest!"  
  
Hitomi looked down at her swords alarmed. What was Balgus thinking?! Giving her stolen swords!!  
  
I swear, next time I see that old man, I'm gonna kill him again!!  
  
"YOU THIEF!!"  
  
The guard's harsh words brought Hitomi back to reality. Instinctively, she began to run for the exit past the guards.  
  
"STOP HER! She must not be allowed to escape!"  
  
Hitomi had drastically underestimated the energy she had left to run. Her legs started throbbing almost immediately after she began running, and her lungs pounded painfully against her chest.  
  
The guard closest to the gate came running up behind her, and tackling her to ground, commenced to twist her arms behind her back.  
  
The other guard rushed up to where his companion had Hitomi pinned to the ground, and proceeded to haul her up roughly.  
  
"Just what are you thinking?! You little rat!! Just wait until His Highness comes to deal with you!!"  
  
With this said, the guard pulled a long piece of twine from his pouch and tied Hitomi's wrists together behind her back. Finishing, he stooped down and proceeded to tie her ankles together as well.  
  
Lying on the ground in the dust, Hitomi could do nothing except berate herself. The guard who had tackled her then picked her up, slung her over his shoulder, and walked towards the gatehouse.  
  
Upon entering, the guard threw Hitomi into the wall with all the force that he could muster. The blow knocked the wind out of her lungs and she slid to the straw-covered floor with a groan.  
  
"That'll teach you a lesson!! Not to steal from those better than you!!"  
  
Hitomi with much effort, turned her exhausted head towards the guard as he stomped towards her prone figure.  
  
She flinched as the guard grabbed the front of her shirt, hauled her up and punched her full in the face.  
  
With a barely suppressed shriek, Hitomi fell the ground once again. Needing to vent his anger, the guard kicked her hard with his heavy leather boots.  
  
A thorough beating Hitomi had never before experienced. Her body was bruised black and blue, and she knew that a few of her ribs had to be cracked.  
  
Her head swam as she felt the edge of unconsciousness sweep over her.  
  
A final blow to the back of head knocked her tumbling head over heels into the black abyss of her mind.  
  
  
  
Author's Note:: Ah.::stretches:: that was a good place to end the chapter, don't you agree? I don't know about your views, but in Fanelia, it is a high crime, punishable by death, to steal from the king.  
  
*For those of you who did not watch the tenth and eleventh episodes of the Escaflowne TV series, I'll give a brief summary of what happened. Van, Hitomi, Merle, Allen, Millerna, and Allen's soldiers fly to Freid to warn the Duke of Freid about Zaibach's planned attack on them. When they arrive, they discover that the Duke of Freid is off surveying his lands and his son, Chid, welcomes them. Chid is very open and friendly towards them, asking them to think of his country as their own. In particular, he is excited to meet Allen, the "invincible" swordsman that his mother told him about. However, when he discovers Allen had been injured in a previous fight, he is grieved because he discovers that Allen is not the invincible warrior he thought Allen to be. Okay, this is becoming too detailed. Here's a much shorter version, a captured Zaibach soldier tells Chid and his advisor that Hitomi, Van , and Allen are traitors. Chid reluctantly has them imprisoned and now you know why Van was in prison. Yay!  
  
However, if this was too short or if you're still confused, email me, or review with your questions. I repeat myself, IF YOU'RE CONFUSED. REVIEW!!!!!!! Once again, I need 5 ~ 7 reviews to boost me confidence in writing! ARIGATOU!! 


	5. Escaping

Once again, it is 11:20 at night. I should be studying for my chemistry exam, but instead I shall entertain you with the next chapter in the story of Van and Hitomi. You lucky people you!  
  
Thanks to my WONDERFUL reviewers: wingedgoddess, MysticalDreamer, Ruby, Rogue, kittykat, Firebird Phoenix, and Fate!!  
  
Note: Wow, Firebird Phoenix, your review surprised me, but you guessed right! Hitomi does manage to give Van the slip this time.  
  
Disclaimer: Escaflowne comes before chemistry, and I own no property within it.  
  
A Silent Moment:: Chapter 5  
  
"Where are you keeping this thief?" Asked Van, torn between apprehension and excitement.  
  
"In the gatehouse, Your Highness." Answered the guard who had helped to capture Hitomi.  
  
"Alright, I will go with you to see this intruder."  
  
"Hai, Your Highness."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ugh. my head hurts.  
  
Hitomi painfully opened her eyes and winced in pain. Immediately her vision became blurry and all she was aware of was the acute pain all over her body.  
  
The guard upon noticing her consciousness, warned in a deep, growling voice, "Don't even think 'bout trying to escape, His Highness will be here shortly to deal with you. And trust me, I don't envy you one bit."  
  
Hitomi groaned, the last thing she needed was a criminal record to hinder her journey. Sighing resignedly, Hitomi decided to try and sleep away some of the pain.  
  
L..ady of the Mystic Moon. Listen to me!  
  
Hitomi opened her eyes, but to her surprise, she was no longer in the gatehouse. Instead, she had been transported to the dream plane where she and Balgus had trained, and straight in front of her was the man afore mentioned.  
  
You must escape now!  
  
  
  
Yeah! I know, but how do I do that?! .. And why the hell did you give me stolen swords, Balgus!!!!  
  
Balgus shook his grizzled head, the stupidity of youth never failed to amaze him.  
  
The swords you carry were not stolen. However, this is not important. When the young lord comes, you must be ready to flee! An opportunity will present itself, but it is up to you to take it! Do you understand?  
  
Hitomi took the information in, a disbelieving look printed on her face.  
  
H..hai.  
  
Now, you must go.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hitomi opened her eyes then quickly shut them against the bright sunlight streaming in from the half-open door. She shifted from where she was leaning against the wall, but something stopped her from moving.  
  
Craning her head to look over her shoulder, Hitomi noticed that the bonds that tied her wrists together were caught against a sharp-looking piece of metal protruding from the wall.  
  
This is it! I can't fail this time.  
  
Turning her body fully towards the door, Hitomi vigorously rubbed the ropes against the metal piece. Soon, she could feel the fibers of her bonds begin to fray and loosen.  
  
Shutting her eyes in concentration, Hitomi wrenched her hands apart. With a sharp crack, the last of the rope fibers snapped, showering Hitomi with small, itchy pieces of straw.  
  
Knowing that she could not afford anymore time, Hitomi struggled to stand up. Her bruised body and cracked ribs protested angrily.  
  
  
  
Oh, shush up!  
  
  
  
Hitomi groaned in pain as she leaned against the wall. All at once, voices began filtering in from the door. Her heart beating wildly in her throat, Hitomi inched towards the doorway and cautiously peeked out.  
  
  
  
The lord, whose wedding she had interrupted, along with a whole squad of guards were riding towards the gatehouse.  
  
  
  
Okay..okay. Think Hitomi! Don't panic. but that's something we can definitely save for later!! Fine..fine. the distance between here and the gate is roughly thirteen yards. I can run fifty feet in nine seconds. It will take the horses at least another thirty seconds to reach here. ten if they gallop. I've got no choice.  
  
Hitomi braced herself as she mentally counted down from three. two. one. GO!  
  
Hitomi surged upwards as she sprinted for the gate, hoping against all odds that there were no guards in front of her.  
  
  
  
Nine. the lord had noticed her escape and was encouraging his horse to a gallop.  
  
  
  
Eight. Hitomi could see the edges of the gateway approaching.  
  
  
  
Seven. the young lord's horse is awfully fast!!  
  
  
  
Six. Her aching body screamed in pain, demanding her slow down.  
  
  
  
Five. The way that girl runs is oddly familiar.  
  
Four. Just a little more, push yourself! You're the star of the track team!  
  
  
  
Three. Realizing that the thief was exhausted, the lord pushed his horse on to higher speeds.  
  
  
  
Two. No!! He'll catch me!!  
  
  
  
One. Hitomi burst into forest, and looking back, noticed that the lord and his guards had reigned in their horses.  
  
Hitomi kept on running until absolute exhaustion came over her, and not caring where she landed, sunk to the ground unconscious.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Crickets chirped, happy that night had fallen once again. The twin moons hung high in the sky, casting an ethereal light upon the sleeper nestled among the woodland shrubs.  
  
  
  
Curious little creatures had at first questioned this mysterious lump in their paths, but upon determining the lump's quiet, motionless state, proceeded to ignore it as they continued upon their nightly tasks.  
  
  
  
The night's cold air soon sunk itself into Hitomi's skin. Shivering slightly and alarming the little creatures that had been swarming over her, Hitomi slowly woke up. Stretching her sore body, she sent the creatures scurrying for cover.  
  
  
  
The moons are so beautiful. I was too distracted my first night here in Gaia to notice.  
  
  
  
Hitomi placed her hands behind her head and continued staring into the night sky.  
  
  
  
The Mystic Moon. my home. I wonder if I'll ever be able to go back? . Van. where are you?  
  
  
  
Tears slid down from the corners of her eyes, leaving shining traces as they glided down her dusty cheeks. Unbeknownst to her, the drag-energeist in her pocket had begun to shine brightly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Van was exhausted. He had failed his wedding and had failed to catch the thief that had made off with his clothes and the royal swords.  
  
  
  
Massaging his temples, Van let his mind blank completely. He was slumped in a leather-covered couch next to a roaring fire. He had dismissed his advisors for the night and was relishing his time alone in his room.  
  
  
  
In the darkness of his closed eyelids, he could make out the shining orange blotch that was the fire in front of him.  
  
  
  
Smiling, Van focused in on the friendly warming blotch. It did not shun him or push him, instead it welcomed him as he was, and it loved him for what he was.  
  
  
  
A tear squeezed itself out of Van's tightly shut eyes. The fire. Hitomi's smiling face as she called to him. the fire. Hitomi. roaring, raging flames. the pendant. flames surrounding him. the pendant shining.  
  
  
  
Van yelled as he woke from his dream. Then realizing where he was, hoped no one had heard the king wake up yelling from a nightmare like a baby.  
  
  
  
Van was afraid to close his eyes. the last image he had seen before he had woken up. was that of Hitomi crying and cradling a broken and bloody body.  
  
Hitomi. you looked like you were in such horrible pain.  
  
  
  
Suddenly Van stood up, and upon impulse, walked over to his mahogany desk. Running his hands under the desktop, he pressed the knob disguised cleverly as a small knot in the wood.  
  
  
  
A secret drawer popped out of the desk to Van's left, and reaching into it, Van pulled out a gilt box the size of his palm.  
  
Pulling off the lid, Van turned the box upside down, spilling its contents onto his outstretched hand.  
  
Hitomi's pendant. Van smiled sadly as he looked upon his only reminder of her.  
  
It was shining. the pendant. Van looked on in surprise as the pendant suddenly released a flash of pink light, drawing him into a vision.  
  
  
  
Deep in the forest outside his kingdom. by the lake. a person enshrouded in the darkness lounged upon a bed of shrubs. The twin moons hung high in the sky. two hilts protruded from the person's side. a similar, pinkish light glowed from the person's thigh. He knew where this person was!  
  
Rushing over to his wardrobe, Van shed the heavy fur and velveteen cloak of royalty. As he threw the doors of the wardrobe open, he was only mildly surprised that his red shirt and pants were still there, along with his old worn and dusty boots.  
  
  
  
Pulling the rest of his symbols of office off, he pulled on his pants and donned his red shirt. Stooping down, he buckled his sword to his waist and pulled on his boots.  
  
  
  
Walking calmly back to his desk, he pulled opened another drawer and retrieved his brown dragon-leather gloves. Pulling these on, he stretched his fingers as the worn leather cracked and gave way to the warm, lithe movements of his hands.  
  
  
  
Satisfied, Van walked out of his room and proceeded down the hallway towards the stairs.  
  
  
  
The moons shined brightly, throwing his shadow onto the sandy grounds of the training arena. The sand crunched lightly as Van made his way out of the palace.  
  
Staying in the shadows as to avoid the guards, Van made his way into the city. He was used to this; he had often slipped out for midnight walks among the sleeping denizens of his kingdom.  
  
  
  
Van loved his people, they were like family, and he strove to make them happy. Normally the peacefulness of the night shrouding his kingdom gave peace of mind.  
  
  
  
However, that night Van felt something blaze up within him.  
  
A passion that he had not felt since the war awoke and licked hungrily behind his eyes.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Something's wrong. I can feel it. Something odd is coming here.  
  
  
  
Hitomi shifted uncomfortably in her little nest of soft moss and shrubs she had collected earlier. The crickets had gone silent and that was never a good sign of anything.  
  
  
  
Suddenly Hitomi shrieked as she jumped up onto her feet. There was something beating. like a heart! Looking down, Hitomi calmed somewhat as she noticed the drag-energeist in her pocket glow.  
  
Pulling the energeist out from her pocket, Hitomi could feel its heartbeat. The pink glow within the crystal shell was screaming.it wanted to be released from its prison.  
  
  
  
~Thump~Thump~Thump~Thump~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
What should I do? The thing's pulsing like crazy! And.something bad is still coming.  
  
  
  
Worried, Hitomi strained her eyes against the darkness as she strove to make out any movement in the pitch-black forest.  
  
Hitomi sat down warily, her eyes still on her surroundings, but her legs had started to ache once again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Van was no longer himself. He had given himself willingly to the passion, and it had consumed him. He walked purposefully towards where Hitomi was worriedly looking about for the "something bad" 's approach.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(***)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was coming; Hitomi could no longer deny this to herself.  
  
I've got to fight!  
  
  
  
Using a nearby tree trunk as a brace, Hitomi pulled herself up on her wobbly feet.  
  
  
  
My legs. they feel like jelly.  
  
  
  
Pulling her left sword from its sheath, she jammed the blade deep into the ground. Hitomi held on tightly to its hilt as she pulled her right sword out and into a semi-ready stance.  
  
  
  
Hitomi knew she looked awkward, her feet were splayed outwards, and she was leaning upon her one sword with the other out in front of her.  
  
  
  
Soon the crunching of dried twigs and leaves could be heard. Hitomi's heart sped up, and she forced herself to take deep breaths as she pulled the blade of her sword out of the ground.  
  
  
  
O..okay. I'm okay.I'll survive.I hope.  
  
  
  
The approaching shadow halted, just outside of Hitomi's little glade.  
  
  
  
Van licked his lips in anticipation of the imminent battle. He couldn't see who his opponent was, but that didn't matter to him!  
  
  
  
Hitomi licked her dry lips in apprehension. The dark wraith was covered in shadow, and for some reason, the twin moons had chosen to hide themselves behind a fortress of clouds.  
  
  
  
Something was definitely wrong, the hairs at the nape of her neck were standing straight up.  
  
  
  
"D..da..dare?" Hitomi asked in a shaky voice, betraying her fear to the stranger.  
  
  
  
A deep, guttural voice [AN: if you've seen the Escaflowne movie, think of Van's voice in the beginning when he says, "I'll kill all my enemies."] answered her pitiful question.  
  
"Who I am is irrelevant. who you are is irrelevant."  
  
  
  
Silence reigned and Hitomi could feel beads of sweat begin to form on her brow. She started to bring her hand up to wipe the sweat away, when.  
  
  
  
"Stop! Do not move!"  
  
  
  
Hitomi stopped, her arm halfway up, still clutching her sword. "Wh.what?"  
  
  
  
Van had begun to recover, and his eyes cleared. Softly he whispered.. "H..hitomi?"  
  
Unfortunately, his question was lost upon the breeze that whistled past. The beast. the passion refused to give up this easily and Van felt himself once again, in the grip of hatred.  
  
  
  
Van roared angrily, in his flaming eyes, the shadow, in the forest glade with its arm still stopped halfway to its face, flickered.  
  
  
  
He needed to fight! He needed to kill this person; this person in the red shirt and pants identical to his own. He saw... himself.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: ::phew:: That's it! I'm done, now I can return to my Humanities essay, which I was suppose to be writing. Blah, I'm tired, what does anyone know about Florence during Renaissance period?? Hehe, I'm kidding, I'll figure this out somehow. Once again, any questions will be answered in reviews. WHICH MEANS YOU MUST REVIEW TO POST A QUESTION, RIGHT???!!!! Sad note, my workload has finally caught up with me, so it'll be harder for me to write. I need 8 ~ 10 reviews to update, ::haha:: that'll give me plenty of time to write the next chapter.  
  
My own personal goal and delight: to write the wedding of Van Slanzar de Fanel to Hitomi Kanzaki. Now you know where this story is going to go! 


	6. Dueling

::aaaahhhhh!!!:: I'm so terribly sorry for updating so freakin' late!!! I had projects all week!!! I just love my second period prep (preparatory period). On Thursdays, I don't have to get to school until 10:30!! ::hehe:: It's 8:40 right now, so I'll see how much I am able to finish.  
  
My sincere thanks to: dancegoddess, Pyro'sgirl, DEE, R.T.A Wings, LOVE WITCH, Genkai Lady, Kartos, Crystal-moon, Ruby, and FayeValentine00!!!!  
  
Kartos: okay, umm. yeah Van learns to control his anger in the TV series and movies because Hitomi was there to help him. Now she's been gone for a couple years and something ~mysterious~ is um. helping Van's anger and loneliness along. ::hehe:: (  
  
Disclaimer: As much as I long or wish, Escaflowne belongs not to me, but another.  
  
A Silent Moment:: Chapter 6  
  
  
  
What is fear? Why am I afraid? Do I fear death? Or do I fear the process of dying?  
  
  
  
What is my purpose?  
  
  
  
Death is merely the ceasing of function of a living organism.  
  
  
  
Really? Is that all it is?  
  
  
  
Then. why? Why am I afraid?  
  
  
  
It is a natural instinct to fear death and destruction. All living things struggle to live. You are no different.  
  
  
  
I struggle for life, even if I have no purpose?  
  
  
  
Yes.  
  
  
  
But I do have a purpose.  
  
  
  
What is your purpose then, young human?  
  
  
  
To survive. and to find Van.  
  
  
  
Why do you seek this Van?  
  
  
  
Because I worry about him.  
  
  
  
He does not care. He does not worry for you. He does not want you here.  
  
  
  
You lie! Van does care for me! He said so himself!  
  
  
  
And yet, he has ignored you for the past few years. If he really cared for you like you say, why did he cease to acknowledge you?  
  
  
  
Van. he. has his reasons.  
  
  
  
Then. why is he trying to destroy you? Right this very moment?  
  
  
  
Na. nani???!!!  
  
  
  
A wild, unrestrained laughter echoed throughout Hitomi's mind, bouncing off the firm walls of her determination. She shivered as the malice and the amusement hit her skin like a cold evening wind.  
  
You humans are incredibly stupid, but you provide entertainment. I shall leave you now to battle for your life. If you survive, I will pay a visit to you again.  
  
  
  
The sudden cold that had engulfed her, dissipated, leaving behind a wide gulf of doubt.  
  
  
  
Hitomi snapped back, which was lucky for her, as the situation was about to become much more life threatening.  
  
  
  
"Teki wo korosu." [I will kill all my enemies.]  
  
  
  
I am not afraid. I am not afraid. it's Van after all. he wouldn't hurt me!  
  
  
  
Hitomi cautiously lowered her swords, letting the tips of the blades rest softly upon the dirt of the forest floor. If what the weird voice had said was true, then this was Van, but he obviously was not himself.  
  
  
  
"Van..! It's me, Hitomi!"  
  
  
  
Van, oblivious to her voice, continued staring at her. Hitomi shivered, not from the chill of evening, but from the lust, the thirst for blood, which raged behind his eyes. The amber eyes she had so often seen, soft as honey.  
  
  
  
  
  
She loved his eyes; the warmth she had bathed in, the depth of those gold- flecked windows that allowed her and no one else, to peek into his soul. But now, they were no longer the gold eyes of her Van, but the blood-red eyes of a beast.  
  
  
  
  
  
Man possesses a soul and a conscience; these are the discrepancies that separate beast and human. However, man is beast deep down. He carries the instincts from the past when he was nothing more than a common creature, scrambling for survival in the harsh world. Today, society and rules have boxed in and suppressed man's natural urges and replaced them with restraints and the artificial such as education and mannerisms. However, callings from deep within, the wild side, cannot be chained for long. Someday it will break free.  
  
  
  
Van grinned his unearthly grin; the smile of a killer. The enemy was weak for she had willingly lowered her defenses. Well if she was going to present him with such an advantage, he had no choice but to take it.  
  
  
  
Moving swiftly, he closed in on Hitomi who was standing there with her blades down, completely unaware of his attack.  
  
  
  
Her catlike reflexes, the ones she had gained from years on track, saved her life. Seeing a blur come rushing at her, Hitomi had quickly stepped aside just as Van thrust his sword into where her chest would have been. But she had been too slow, his sword had managed to tear the skin, muscle, and hit a vein in her right shoulder.  
  
  
  
Hitomi bit her lip to keep the scream from erupting. She had no time and no way to staunch her hemorrhaging shoulder. The blood ran in thick red rivers, swiveling in delightful patterns, traveling down all the way to her hand to drip onto the ground.  
  
  
  
Blood. what an enchanting color. He just had to see more of it!  
  
  
  
Bring her swords into play, Hitomi barely managed to fend off Van's vicious blow. He was like a hurricane! He just kept coming, attacking, stabbing, thrusting, searching for her weak spot.  
  
  
  
In the midst of it all, the blood kept drawing. It seemed to find amusement in being able to draw a beautiful portrait only to have Hitomi's rapid movements blur or flick off its efforts.  
  
  
  
She was getting tired, the loss of blood was weakening her stamina quickly. She knew she would not last long.  
  
  
  
Van! What is he doing? Why is he attacking me?! Even if I had the power to defeat him. NO! I refuse to hurt him!!!  
  
  
  
With renewed vigor, Hitomi continued battling. But she had to conserve her energy. She stopped blocking Van's blows and began using the surrounding trees to help her. As Van came rushing towards her, Hitomi waited until he was almost upon her and quickly darted behind the tree trunk so that Van's blade hit the trunk with a dull thud and buried itself deep within the wood.  
  
  
  
  
  
Roaring in frustration, Van wrenched his sword free. His heart was pounding furiously against his ribcage. His life, his blood danced to their fierce beat through his ears and suddenly he was in pain.  
  
  
  
Hitomi was afraid, despite what the weird voice had said earlier.  
  
  
  
I'm not afraid, I should not be afraid. It's Van! I'm brave and I can defeat him! Who am I kidding? I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm beyond afraid!!!!!!!!!!  
  
  
  
  
  
Her heart was up in her throat, threatening to choke her. Her heart was beating angrily and she feel her blood rushing up to flood her mouth. Hitomi swallowed noisily, trying to dislodge the offending vessel. She had merely imagined the blood in her mouth, but she could taste the iron and it left a nasty feeling on her tongue.  
  
  
  
It coated her tongue with its slimy nature and relentlessly oozed down her throat. Hitomi gagged and her vision swam, but the blood iron taste continued until it began filling her stomach with its warm content.  
  
  
  
  
  
She had no idea when the pain had started. A sharp lance had suddenly shoved its way into her ribs. Another and another and another followed the sharp lance of pain until her tears and her throat raw from her screaming had blinded Hitomi.  
  
  
  
In synchronization. their hearts. in synchronization. their hearts were beating in synchronization!  
  
  
  
  
  
Through the dull haze that the pain had shrouded her mind with, Hitomi was vaguely aware of the synch.  
  
  
  
The animalistic Van felt the synch and did not understand. The beast in him recoiled in horror from the unknown feeling.  
  
  
  
Hitomi stood up from where she had fallen; her eyes were glazed over with pain, but she moved like one possessed. In a way she was, she was possessed by the painful responsibility of her duty.  
  
  
  
Time slowed and Hitomi charged towards Van, her legs fighting the overwhelming strength of the time mud that surrounded her legs. Her twin shining blades out in front of her flew towards their target.  
  
  
  
She would kill him and she would end it. She would end everything here and now with one thrust!  
  
  
  
Screaming and with tears streaming from her eyes, Hitomi thrust, throwing her strength into her right arm. She bowed her head as not to witness the death as she felt the skin, flesh, and muscle tear, then the slight thunk as she hit bone. but she stopped. She couldn't go on. she couldn't let it end like this.  
  
  
  
A rhythmic beating shook the blood-spattered grove of trees.  
  
  
  
:: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump :: :: bump ::  
  
  
  
A bright pink glare shown from Hitomi's pocket and the pulsing she had felt earlier resumed except the beat, it was beating fit to burst! The energeist emanated waves of lust and rage, hard edges of hatred softened as they broke against Hitomi's cheek.  
  
Uhnnn. those feelings. they seem familiar.  
  
  
  
Van, though possessed as he was, felt the slight pulsing of the small pink pendant on his chest. His eyes clearing from their lustful haze glanced down.  
  
A small rose-pink crystal, capped in silver at the top of its oval shape, hung from a leather cord which circled his neck. Van became entranced as he noticed the white glow caged within the crystal's interior. The glow was a small, slender, and petite thing, but it danced with all the courage and aggressiveness of a warrior.  
  
  
  
Hnnn. Hitomi. this ripple of emotions. I can feel . sadness. Hitomi's sad? Is this her? Are you her? You seem familiar.  
  
  
  
The beating of the energeist, the pulsing of the pendant filled the small grove with their rhythm. The dance of death must continue, no interruptions will be allowed.  
  
  
  
The beating and the pulsing struggled to unite with each other; it strained for oneness; to be one with the other.  
  
  
  
Hitomi slowly, with a sickening sound, slid her blade from where it had come to rest at the edge of Van's collarbone.  
  
Van, the hatred and anger gone from his eyes, raised his bloodstained sword in reply.  
  
  
  
Yes, the dance would continue.  
  
  
  
Van's blood swirled with his sweat as it sank into the red fibers of his shirt. The rapid darkening of the cloth signaled Van of his detrimental wound. Heedless to the pain pounding his nerves, Van turned his left foot with the smallest of motion toward Hitomi.  
  
  
  
Hitomi knew he would charge, and she knew what her role in this pre- ordained dance would be.  
  
  
  
One small scuff of a boot in the dirt and Van came charging towards Hitomi, his sword thrust in front of him. Hitomi drew her swords up in a readied defense.  
  
Van swung towards her legs in an attempt to cripple her. Hitomi with a quick twist swung her left arm upward to block Van's downward cut with a loud clang.  
  
  
  
Both of them knew they would die of from their loss of blood if the dance were not ended quickly.  
  
  
  
Hitomi knew Van was more than a match for her even with her twin blades, and if she were not careful, she would die.the energeist soothed her worn body, lending her the last bit of energy she would need.  
  
  
  
Van acknowledged her skill. she truly was a warrior. the pendant with its soft, white glow gently gnawed away at Van's hard exterior. The one he built up for himself when in the midst of battle. Van had learned the hard way, if one did not have the fortress to protect one's soul from the fierce attacks of both physical and physiological means, it would be inviting defeat.  
  
But the white glow would not allow that. The fortress would be his downfall.  
  
  
  
In a silent, mutual agreement, the two separated to opposite sides of the clearing and prepared for the last pass.  
  
  
  
Hitomi's twin blades, dripping Van's blood. Van's blade, coated with Hitomi's blood. The energeist and pendant increased in vibration, shaking their holders into numbness. They were getting closer, the beating and pulsing were almost in sync.  
  
As Van started running towards each Hitomi. the vibration flourished within their very muscles, their very veins, and seeped into the marrow of their bones.  
  
  
  
Hitomi focused her entire will and desire into her tainted blades. Closing her eyes, she opened them into the darkness of her mind. "Yuki wo dashite."[focus everything.] Hitomi whispered to herself.  
  
  
  
The beating acknowledged her power and with a final beat.  
  
Throwing her mind out into the blackness of space, Hitomi could see or rather feel Van running swiftly towards her. Biting her lip and with her eyes clenched shut, Hitomi stood her ground and counted. san. ni .  
  
. united in synchronization with the pulsing. together, Hitomi and Van's hearts beat, pulsed, blood flowing, gushing in torrents through each other.  
  
Suddenly, it disappeared; the spot of familiarity that was Van in her mind's eye. Hitomi opened her eyes in shock, she was running. her target who was standing still. was herself!!  
  
Van opened his eyes in shock. One moment he had been running towards her, ready to end the battle, when suddenly he found himself in a completely different situation. Realization struck them both: they had switched places.  
  
  
  
But as quickly as it had happened, it reverted back. Hitomi was now standing on defense with Van rushing aggressively forward. Then again, they switched, and again, switched back.  
  
  
  
One moment Van was charging, his booted feet barely touching the ground as he flew towards his opponent, then at the next moment, he was holding two swords ready to fend off a blow.  
  
  
  
As Van/Hitomi drew nearer and nearer towards Hitomi/ Van, their confusion threw them off balance and in final switch, Van with Hitomi's twin blades sheathed them both deep within Hitomi's upper body.  
  
It was done. finally the dance was over. and the two would now be free from the aggression and hatred that had found them during the heat of battle.  
  
  
  
I'm going to die. I knew this.. is how it would end.don't worry Van, daijobu.  
  
  
  
The last thought Hitomi sent with her the last of her fading power to Van's unconscious mind.  
  
As her vision started to grow darken and swim. an indescribable warmth started pouring out from her ruptured heart to flow in her veins and travel to the very tips of her fingers and toes.  
  
So this is what it feels like to die.  
  
The Draconian blood that had stained the edges of Hitomi's swords, detached themselves molecule by molecule from the surface of the blades to mingle with the blood of the human.  
  
  
  
YESSSS I'M DONE!!!! Do you know how long it took for me to write that??? I apologize since this is an unedited version. I didn't have time to edit because I needed to get it posted for my faithful readers! I'm terribly sorry for the inevitable grammatical mistakes and the in general crappy writing since I'm writing this with a deadline in mind. Once again I apologize for being late and knowing there'll probably be questions about the story, feel free to ask and please be specific. in YOUR REVIEW!!!! ONCE AGAIN, I am begging, pleading for 10 reviews!! THANKS SO MUCH TO THOSE WHO COMPLY!!! 


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